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The Downtown El Cajon event will feature live music, wine tasting, shopping, art exhibitions and more
September 26, 2011 (El Cajon) — St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center, a non-denominational adult day-training facility for adults with developmental disabilities, will host the sixth annual Alley Cat Art Festival on October 14 in Downtown El Cajon on Main Street and Arts Alley. Promoting community participation and partnerships, the Alley Cat Art Festival will feature art and businesses from around the county, and include original work by St. Madeleine’s Sophie’s Gallery adult artists with developmental disabilities.
This year’s event will also host the first-time art show, Urban Tales: Exploring the relationship between individual growth and sense of community through art. The artists’ entries from the show will be judged with $1,500 worth of prizes awarded to winners.
In 2006, the first Alley Cat Committee was formed, and together they created a grassroots art event as a collaboration of community arts groups, museums, restaurants and other El Cajon businesses. Focused on building a vital arts district in Downtown El Cajon, the Alley Cat Art Festival is designed for the enjoyment of art lovers and community members alike.
Recognizing the benefits that the event brings to businesses in Downtown El Cajon, the El Cajon City Council voted to provide $5,000 in support of this year’s festival.
“Alley Cat is an important local event that attracts residents and visitors to Downtown, which helps support local businesses and promote the area as an arts and culture zone,” said Debra Turner-Emerson, Executive Director for St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center. “It also highlights what El Cajon has to offer its residents and the greater San Diego community.”
In addition to the unique combination of community partnership and art excellence, the festival will feature music, a classic car show, shopping, as well as food, wine and beer tastings.
Taking center stage at 7 p.m. on October 14th will be singer-songwriter David Scott Gordon. Gordon will perform songs from hos new six-track debut EP, “Believin’ In Love;” a culmination of the journey he took from addiction to the place he is now. The singer-songwriter plans to donate a portion of the CD sales’ proceeds to STMSC from the day’s event.
“As a business in Downtown El Cajon, Sophie’s Gallery & Gift Shop, a program of St. Madeleine’s, participates in Alley Cat on behalf of the students they serve,” said Turner-Emerson. “At Sophie’s Gallery, individuals with developmental disabilities are able to create and sell their artwork.”
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